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Many Opinions Following Quinn's Budget Address
The suggestion of a 1 percentage point income tax increase to help pay for education was not the only part of Gov. Pat Quinn's budget message that is getting attention.

Kristina Rasmussen, executive vice president of the Illinois Policy Institute, says the state pension system is still a huge problem. Rasmussen says younger generations expect a retirement plan such as a 401(k), not the kind of retirement benefits public employees get. "Do you fund another teacher in the classroom," she asks, "or do you continue to give every teacher a very generous retirement benefit?"

Business groups did not find Quinn's remarks all bad. Mark Denzler, vice president and chief operating officer of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, says the job training initiative is good, but he’d like to see the General Assembly show more discipline before he can trust it with more money from income taxes.

Todd Maisch, vice president for governmental relations at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, says the biggest question to him is raised by the prospect of continued debt: "Has the public become so concerned about debt that they will just rebel at more borrowing?"

(Illinois Radio Network)
03 11 10 by Newsroom
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